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CNN Wolf Blitzer Reports
Underground Government Called to Duty; Are U.S. Forces Spread Too Thin?; ABC to Replace 'Nightline' With David Letterman
Aired March 01, 2002 - 17:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Now on WOLF BLITZER REPORTS, a doomsday government of senior officials called to duty on September 11th. They live underground, far from a capital which could be targeted for catastrophe.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I still take the threats that we received from al Qaeda killers and terrorists very seriously.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: It's not the first time Washington has felt threatened. We'll look back in history.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We feel that there may be al Qaeda in that country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: U.S. forces get a new anti-terror assignment. Are they spread too thin?
And, it's shaking up the TV world...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This story has gone off like a nuclear bomb.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: Will ABC shove aside Ted Koppel's "Nightline" to make room for David Letterman?
Hello, I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington. Topping our news alert: a doomsday plan that President Bush takes very seriously.
President Bush activated the so-called shadow government in the first hours after the September 11th terror attacks. About 100 senior government officials live and work secretly outside Washington. Officials say the move was taken out of fears the al Qaeda terrorist network might obtain a crude nuclear weapon. We'll have much more on this in a moment.
President Bush has given the green light for sending U.S. troops to Yemen to help root out al Qaeda and other terrorist cells. Under the still-evolving plan, a small number of American troops will train Yemeni forces and share intelligence.
More heavy fighting in the Middle East, as Israeli troops move into a second Palestinian refugee camp. At least five Palestinians, including a 10-year old girl, were killed. Much of today's fighting took place in the Jenin, in the refugee camp just in the West Bank.
In India, dozens more people were killed today in fighting between Hindus and Muslims in the western state of Gujarat. The official death toll from three days of violence is 136, but some officials put the number at 150 or higher.
More now on the disclosure of a secret standby federal government operating outside Washington since the September 11th terrorist attacks. Senior government officials say the move is a precaution against a catastrophic strike on the nation's capital. Our senior White House correspondent, John King, has been covering the story. He joins us now live -- John.
JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, officials saying this is a precaution, on the one hand, the president felt obligated to implement these plans, as you noted in the opening, in the minutes and hours after the September 11th attacks. On the other hand, they say the president is keeping it in place because of continued evidence. And U.S. intelligence data reports that there is a continued threat against Washington.
A short time ago I spoke with one of the president's top aides, White House communications director Dan Bartlett. I asked him pointedly why, nearly six months later, are these people, roughly 100 of them, still living outside Washington in two secure bunkers? He said the president feels a compelling need to keep them there.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAN BARTLETT, W.H. COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR: There's not a day that doesn't go by in which the president doesn't take into consideration the fact that these terrorists, these people who plan throughout the world to inflict harm on American people, can do it at any moment on any day of any week of the year. And it's his important, the priority of this administration, to make sure that we have a team, that we have a plan in place, to expect another hit by these terrorists.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: Now, these roughly 100 or so senior government officials would do anything, from keeping agricultural programs going to making sure elderly Americans got their Social Security checks. It is a plan in place so the executive branch of the government, the White House, the cabinet agencies, could function if there were a catastrophic strike here in Washington.
And, Wolf, they say they are already learning many lessons. These plans, in place since the Cold War. When officials went into these bunkers in the days and hours after September 11th, say the phones are outdated, the computers are outdated. So even as this shadow government remains in place, they are rushing to upgrade all the technology.
BLITZER: And there are separate operations, so-called standby operations, for the military bases outside the Washington, D.C. area. And there's yet another separate standby operation for top members of Congress. Briefly, John, walk us through those.
KING: And standby for the judiciary as well. Every branch of government, Wolf, has a separate operation. There are bunkers at locations near Washington, but outside of Washington, where key members of Congress would be taken under these circumstances. There are bunkers, one of them, President Bush visited on September 11th. An air force base in Nebraska has a strategic command and control bunker underground. It is considered nuclear proof.
On September 11th, the president, remember, made the wondering path back to Washington because of security concerns. He stopped and had a national security meeting from a video conference room there. It was at that very meeting that the president put much of the plans of this standby government we are talking about today into action.
BLITZER: John King, thank you very much for that report.
And this standby government that is now operating did originate in the Cold War years of the Eisenhower administration. But the roots of the plan go further back in the annals of U.S. history. Our Jeanne Meserve reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): War has come right into Washington. During the war of 1812, British troops torched the White House and other public buildings, and President James Madison was forced to move the government to Maryland. During the Civil War, the Potomac River was all that separated the capital from the Confederacy, and Abraham Lincoln became the only president to come under fire in battle when he visited Fort Stevens as Confederates approached Washington from the North.
RON HARVEY, U.S. PARK SERVICE: Confederate sharpshooters knew who he was, and they tried to shoot at the president. Bullets missed, bullets are going everywhere. But one bullet unfortunately struck a man three feet to his right.
MESERVE: When America was attacked at Pearl Harbor, no one felt Washington was at risk. But the reach and power of Soviet missiles created a different mentality. During the Cold War a massive bunker was constructed near the Greenbrier resort in West Virginia to shelter members of Congress from nuclear attack. Similar facilities built for executive branch and military officials may be those being used today. Stephen Hess visited one as a young Eisenhower speechwriter.
STEPHEN HESS, BROOKINGS INSTITUTE: You are going into this large cave, a Tora Bora sort of thing. I mean, this is a very big facility that has been built inside a mountain. The mountain has been scooped out.
MESERVE: During the Cold War, the bunkers were never used. Even during the Cuban missile crisis, when there was a real fear of a nuclear exchange, the Kennedy administration stayed put.
ROBERT DALLEK, PRESIDENTIAL HISTORIAN: They were very careful not to leave the city. Because also, they felt it would undermine confidence in the ability of the government to meet this threat.
MESERVE (on camera): But the threat is different now. There is no readily identifiable enemy and no fully effective deterrent or defense.
DALLEK: The fact that you have a current shadow government, I think, speaks volumes about the change in mood, outlook. The feeling now is that we are vulnerable.
MESERVE (voice-over): The reason why is just across the river. Jeanne Meserve, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: And our Web question of the day is this: should the Bush administration continually maintain a secret standby government in case of emergency? You can vote at cnn.com/wolf. While you're there, let me know what you're thinking. There's a "click here" icon on the left side of the page. Send me your comments and I'll read some of them on the air each day at the end of this program. It's also where you can read my daily on-line column.
President Bush is again expanding the front lines of the war on terrorism. A senior U.S. official says a small number of American troops will be sent to Yemen, site of the terrorist bomb attack on the USS Cole some two years ago. Under the still-evolving plan, the Americans will train Yemeni forces trying to root out al Qaeda and other terrorist cells.
The deployment of U.S. troops in Yemen will raise to eight the number of countries where American forces are engaged in the war on terrorism. Some critics say that, in the aftermath of the September 11th terror attacks, the U.S. military is stretched too thin.
Joining us now to talk more about this is Democratic Congresswoman Jane Harman of California -- that's not Jane Harman. That's Peter King. He's in our New York studio. He's a Republican Congressman from New York. And Jane Harman is a Democratic congresswoman from California. Thanks to both of you for joining us. Congresswoman Harman, why do you believe the U.S. military, with that enormous defense budget it has, can't meet these challenges that the president says it must meet? REP. JANE HARMAN (D), CALIFORNIA: Well, who says it can't meet them? I think the U.S. military is very strong and I want to make a point, Wolf, that our defense budget isn't sacrosanct. Maybe it should be bigger, maybe it should be smaller. But people who in Congress are asking questions about it are not aiding and abetting the enemy. I just want to say to your viewers that I resent comments that have been made recently by senior leadership in both Houses, that question the patriotism of people like me who wear the American flag and are pro-defense members of Congress.
BLITZER: What about that, Peter King? If someone just questions the role of the U.S. military in this war on terrorism, are you questioning their motives?
REP. PETER KING (R), NEW YORK: No, not at all. But I was disappointed when, for instance, Senator Daschle started saying that the success of the war could be in doubt, and that the war might be a failure if we don't catch bin Laden. To me it was inappropriate to be bringing up words like failure or questioning victory when no war has ever been fought better than this.
But no, it's not a question of patriotism. In fact, I would say, from September 11th until yesterday, there was tremendous bipartisan support. I think Senator Daschle was probably trying to cover for Senator Byrd, who I thought went a little too far in his questioning. It's not a question of patriotism. It's a question, really -- and I agree with Jane. I think all of these issues should be debated, but it should be done right now in the context that this is a war we're winning. And we shouldn't be raising doubts about the ultimate victory when things are going so well.
But certainly, each of these locations where the troops are going, that should be debated. Each of the weapons systems should be debated. I think the president is on target and I support him 100 percent. But I think this is certainly open to debate, of course.
BLITZER: Well, Jane Harman, you've suggested -- you told me the other day that you thought the U.S. military right now was being stretched too thin.
HARMAN: Well, I said -- I questioned what we're doing in Georgia, and now we're going into Yemen. In terms of, you know, what are our goals and objectives? Do we have an exit strategy? Does this directly tie to our effort to eliminate al Qaeda around the world? By the way, on Osama bin Laden, I think we will find him. I don't know whether it will be tomorrow. I think we should find him, but that's not the only measure of our success.
The measure of our success is there hasn't been a second wave of attacks against the United States. That's success. And even if we eliminate bin Laden and Mullah Omar, we still may not eliminate al Qaeda. It is a very complicated, multilevel fight. And so I am for deploying resources wherever they are needed, but I want a clear strategy every place we go.
BLITZER: Peter King, as you well know, some Democratic leaders in Congress say they were blindsided. They weren't consulted, weren't informed in advance, for example, about this planned deployment to the former Soviet Republic or Georgia or Yemen. We heard a complaint like that from Senator Joe Biden. Shouldn't there be more consultation with both parties in the U.S. Congress?
KING: I think for the most part there has been consultation. Sometimes these things get out before they should. But I think as far as preparation, as far as getting ready for each of these engagements, I think President Bush showed after September 11th how carefully he does prepare, when he really resisted calls from the public for a quick retaliation. He waited from September 11th to October 7th or 8th. He waited almost four full weeks before responding.
So I'm confident that each of these engagements, that we are preparing for, that we know what we're doing and there is a strategy. But as far as what Jane is saying about this being open to debate, or the U.S. (UNINTELLIGIBLE) being briefed, sure they should. I just have confidence in what the president is doing. There's no reason why it can't be discussed.
My question really has been, I thought the last day or two, Senator Byrd and Senator Daschle were being unnecessarily negative. And I thought that was putting a bad spin, if you will, on it. But again, since September 11th there's been total patriotism, total bipartisan support. And hopefully yesterday was just a blip.
BLITZER: Jane Harman, as you know, the Democrats are being accused, and the Senate Republican leader Trent Lott openly questioned whether Senator Daschle should be raising these questions, at a time when U.S. military personnel are in harm's way on the ground around the world.
HARMAN: I don't think he -- I think he was talking about how one might define victory. I don't want to explain his remarks. I'm sure he can. What I want to say, as a pro-defense, pro-choice Democrat, that I have every right to raise the questions I need to raise. Peter King has every right to raise the questions he needs to raise.
I've been raising questions about whether we have a strategy for homeland defense. I think not. I am for homeland defense. I don't think it makes me unpatriotic to raise some questions and hopefully get us to a better place.
BLITZER: On that note I have to leave it. Jane Harman, Peter King, thanks to both of you for joining us. Have a great weekend.
HARMAN: Thanks, Wolf.
KING: Thanks, Wolf.
BLITZER: And we'll continue the discussion about U.S. troops in the war on terror on CNN's "LATE EDITION" this Sunday. Among my guests, the U.S. senator and Vietnam war veteran, John McCain. That's at Noon Eastern.
Turning now to the hunt for war crimes suspect, Radovan Karadzic. For the second straight day, NATO-led troops launched a raid to capture the former Bosnian Serb leader, but came up empty-handed. U.S. troops were the spearhead of the operation. Our military affairs correspondent, Jamie McIntyre, is following this story. He joins us live from the Pentagon -- Jamie.
JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN MILITARY AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, even though a lot of the focus has been on the hunt for Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan, there's been another manhunt under way that has been stepped up recently, and that's in Bosnia, where U.S. troops, as you said, have been in the forefront of the search to bring Radovan Karadzic to justice.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice-over): For years, the man at the top of NATO's most- wanted list, former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic, has benefited from NATO's policy of only arresting war criminals if it happened upon them. But that has changed over the last year or so, sources say, as NATO has gotten better intelligence and U.S. commanders have overcome the fear that combat casualties could weaken support for the Bosnia mission.
LORD GEORGE ROBERTSON, NATO SECRETARY-GENERAL: I have a solemn message for Karadzic and for the others who are indicted for war crimes. Their time is running out. One day, whether it is tomorrow or next week or next month, they will come for you.
MCINTYRE: Pentagon and NATO officials say several dozen U.S. troops spearheaded the first of two unsuccessful snatch missions over the past two days, that were based on intelligence Karadzic was hiding in Celebici, a remote village in eastern Bosnia in the sector controlled by the French.
BRIG. GEN. JOHN ROSA, DEP. OPERATIONS DIRECTOR, JOINT STAFF: We got an intelligence tip. We reacted on that tip. Several dozen buildings were inspected. We found small arms, machine guns, rifles, mortars, antitank weapons. But we didn't find Karadzic. Shortly thereafter, reacting to another tip, we made a more scaled-down operation.
MCINTYRE: While publicly NATO says its mandate hasn't changed, privately alliance officials admit the hunt for Karadzic and other war crimes fugitives has taken on new urgency, especially with the United States anxious to reduce its troop presence in Bosnia.
ROBERTSON: This was not the first time that we've launched such an operation to arrest Karadzic, and it will not be the last. And I repeat, it will not be the last.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MCINTYRE: NATO sources say the stepped-up effort to nab Karadzic actually predates September 11th. And there have been several covert operations in the past that were not disclosed because they were unsuccessful. But now with this more public operation, NATO officials say Karadzic is on notice that NATO is on his trail -- Wolf. BLITZER: Jamie, the Pentagon officials have made a point of explaining why it's so hard to find Osama bin Laden, Mullah Mohammed Omar, the former leader of the Taliban. Why do they say it's so hard to find these Bosnian Serb, suspected alleged war crime leaders, like Karadzic?
MCINTYRE: Well, it just underscores how difficult it is to find a single person. Even though there have been dozens of reports of where Karadzic is, they believe they know the general area he's in. Now there is an increased willingness to go get them. But it's all dependent on intelligence, which is very perishable.
They had credible evidence that he was at this site that they struck two days ago. But by the time they got there he was gone. They're going to keep at it, though.
BLITZER: Jamie McIntyre at the Pentagon, thanks for that report.
And when we come back, what was Andrea Yates thinking when she killed her five children? A key witness tries to asses her state of mind. But will a jury buy his testimony?
Another fatal crash involving a race car driver, this time in Florida.
And will David Letterman go to ABC? And what happens to "Nightline" if he does?
But first, the news quiz: Which late-night television program had the least amount of viewers since the start of the fall season? Is it "Late Show With David Letterman," "Nightline," or "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno"? The answer, coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Welcome back. In our justice file, prosecutors say she knew right from wrong, but her attorneys say Andrea Yates was and still is psychotic. Today the psychiatrist who treated her five days after she killed her five children took the stand. Dr. Steve Rosenblatt said Yates was hallucinating and completely out of touch with reality that day. He added, in his opinion, it would have taken weeks for her to have become that sick.
Outside the Van Dam home in San Diego, California, people have been coming by all day dropping off flowers and stuffed animals in memory of Danielle. Late yesterday, authorities confirmed the body found Wednesday was that of the missing 7-year-old. In a statement, her parents thanked police and the more than 2,500 volunteers who spent almost a month searching for Danielle. A public memorial service is being planned for later this month.
In another California case, testimony resumes Monday in the dog- mauling trial. Yesterday Sharon Smith took the stand and described how her domestic partner, Diane Whipple, was terrified of the two large dogs living across the hall from them. One had previously bitten her. The dogs were destroyed after attacking and killing Whipple last year. Their owners are now on trial. One is charged with second-degree murder.
Joining me now to review all of these cases is Cynthia Alksne. She's a former federal prosecutor. Let's talk first of all about the testimony that we heard today in the Yates trial. What is this going to show, if anything?
CYNTHIA ALKSNE, FMR. FEDERAL PROSECUTOR: You know, today the testimony was very interesting. There was not only this Dr. Rosenblatt, that you mentioned, but also Dr. Resnick, who was the government's doctor in the Unabomber case and also in the McVeigh case.
And he testified that Andrea Yates' problem was so severe that she had right and wrong mixed up. It is as if we've tried to make this simple model for criminal trials and she doesn't fit, because she thought what was right was to kill the children, and what was wrong was to let them live and eventually go to hell. So it's a very confusing thing.
He also had a videotape of her when he interviewed her about a month after the killings. And in that videotape she appears, according to CNN correspondent, Ed Lavandera, basically catatonic. And so the jurors had a sense, they have seen the change in her. As they know, what the nurse, who was a very powerful witness, testified, but what she was like leading up to the murders. And her husband said, leading up to the murders, that police officers after the murders and these doctors as it goes on. And they've seen the changes in here.
BLITZER: And now that, in the Van Dam case, that they have found her body, does that suggest the prosecution, which is seeking perhaps the death penalty for the suspect, do they have a slam-dunk case, now that they actually have the body?
ALKSNE: Well, they don't have a slam-dunk case. But I'll tell you what. The man who was arrested for that no longer has anything to deal. He could have tried to deal and negotiate away the death penalty if he had been willing to say where her body was. Now he doesn't have that chip, so what we'll see now is a trial in that case, because the prosecution is going for the death penalty count. And I suspect there will be no deal.
BLITZER: And there's no incentive for the government to accept the plea bargain?
ALKSNE: Right.
BLITZER: What about the dog-mauling case? This is a little more complicated, right?
ALKSNE: There was an amazing moment yesterday in the dog mauling case when the lover of the victim was on the stand. And the defense attorney blamed the lover -- not her client, who owned the dogs, but her lover, for not complaining -- and perhaps the lover could have saved her life. And in sort of an inside baseball thing, the prosecution was smart and didn't object, because they knew the defense attorney was making an idiot of herself and they wanted her to go on. And the judge interrupted and stopped it. So, it's an interesting case also.
BLITZER: Cynthia Alksne, thanks as usual for joining us.
ALKSNE: You're welcome.
BLITZER: And a race car driver is dead after an accident in Florida. We'll find out what went wrong when we come back.
And later, concerns over Linda Tripp's health. What her attorney is saying.
And there might be a late-night shuffle. Why Dave and Ted could be doing most of the moving. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: We've got a developing story from the space shuttle, Columbia. Our Miles O'Brien is standing by on the phone with details. Miles, tell us what's going on.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, from the moment the space shuttle Columbia arrived in orbit, the crew almost immediately noticed that there was a problem with the cooling system. It's a closed loop freon system, which allows the orbiter to shed heat once it's in orbit and during its mission.
But there are two fully redundant systems, and it's a series of pipes which snake their way through the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) doors, fashioned in a sort of radiator. Two fully redundant systems. One of them apparently has some contamination in it. That caused a filter to clog up, and it is not flowing properly. That's not causing enough cooling capability.
If, in fact, mission managers decide that that system is not operating to their liking, the flight rules call for the space shuttle to return to earth as quickly as possible. Mission managers and the mission management team will be meeting in Houston in about a half an hour to discuss all the possibilities.
Engineers have been looking at the problem, trying to determine if this reduced cooling capability is enough to keep them satisfied to continue the mission to repair the Hubble space telescope for the fourth time, or whether it is operating insufficiently enough to prompt them to return to Earth.
The first opportunity to return to Earth would be tomorrow morning at Edwards Air Force Base in California. We should know in the next three hours or so whether the mission management team of Houston will decide to do that -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Miles, how unusual is this development, in the history of this space shuttle? O'BRIEN: It's not as unusual as you might think. As a matter of fact, about three years ago, the space shuttle Columbia, just prior to this $164 million refurbishment that it went through, blasted off into space and, once in orbit, one of its fuel cell systems broke down. The fuel cells are the capability for generating electricity. Once again, there is another fully-operative fuel cell system, total redundancy.
But once again, the flight rules call for an orbiter to come home if you lose one of the fuel cell systems. That's what that orbiter did. They were back on the ground within three days. They re-flew that mission a few months later.
And so there are some occasions, when you are talking about something that has about a million parts, one little part can go wrong. And if it is the wrong part, you have got to end the mission quickly.
BLITZER: Always an abundance of caution in dealing with these kinds of missions.
Miles O'Brien, we will be back with you as this story continues to unfold. Thanks for that update.
And let's move to another story we're covering today: The Grand Am race car driver Jeff Clinton was killed today during a practice run at the Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Reporter Art Barron from our CNN affiliate WFOR is in Homestead, Florida. He joins me now live with more.
Tell us what happened?
ART BARRON, WFOR REPORTER: Well, Wolf, despite all the rumblings of engines that you hear behind me on the speed track, it is a somber atmosphere here at the Homestead-Miami Speedway.
AS you mentioned, 38-year-old Jeff Clinton died today. He was practicing for this weekend's Nextel 250 in Miami. He is ranked 13th overall in Grand Am Sports Car series. And from our aerial view that we have on videotape that you can see, taken about three or four hours ago, you can see crews rushed to the scene.
Apparently what happened is that he was making his first turn in this practice run. And somehow he lost control of the car. It veered off of the course there, flipping over several times. And then, of course, he was pronounced dead at the scene. This is not the first fatality here at Homestead-Miami Speedway. We also know that, back in 1997, March 21, John Nemechek, he hit a wall. He died five days later of massive brain injury -- so a very somber situation here in Homestead, Florida, where 38-year-old Jeff Clinton died today during a practice run.
An investigation is now under way -- back to you, Wolf.
BLITZER: Art Barron of our affiliate WFOR, he is on the scene in Homestead. Thanks for that report.
And in the battle to be king of late night, there may -- may -- be a major fallout. Could Ted Koppel's "Nightline" be sacrificed for "The Late Show"'s David Letterman?
But first, Linda Tripp goes public with her health problems.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Now checking these stories on today's "Newswire": Vice President Dick Cheney's daughter has accepted a position inside the State Department. Elizabeth Cheney-Perry will become deputy assistant secretary of secretary of state for Near-Eastern affairs, a new position that was created especially for her. The State Department disputes the notion the hire is an act of nepotism.
The woman who was a key figure in the Monica Lewinsky scandal is fighting a more personal battle. Linda Tripp's attorney today confirmed She is being treated for breast cancer. Tripp is 52 years old.
After Enron's downfall, he received a lot of finger-pointing. Coming up: Jeffrey Skilling speaks out and says it's not his fault.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "LARRY KING LIVE")
LARRY KING, HOST: Did you have wrong data?
JEFFREY SKILLING, FORMER CEO, ENRON: I think, looking back on things, I think, given what we had at the time, we made the right decisions.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: And still to come: The head of the EPA answers questions about a controversial resignation and about her boss' plan to make the skies cleaner.
And will David Letterman defect?
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Welcome back.
Lawmakers on Capitol Hill want some clarification from a former Enron chief executive. Jeffrey Skilling has testified he was not aware of the company's financial problems before he resigned last summer. But members of a House committee say they have documents that suggest otherwise.
In an interview with CNN's Larry King to air tonight, Skilling talked about Enron's collapse. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "LARRY KING LIVE")
KING: Did you have wrong data?
SKILLING: I think, looking back on things, I think we, given what we had at the time, we made the right decisions. The things that now, in retrospect, with what we I have seen happen to my company, would I have done things differently? I think we all would do -- we would do a number of things differently.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: And you can see the entire interview with Jeffrey Skilling tonight on "LARRY KING LIVE." That's at 9:00 Eastern, 6:00 Pacific right here only on CNN.
The Environmental Protection Agency is touting a new clean air agenda which it believes will make Americans breath easier. But, earlier this week, the director of the EPA's Regulatory Enforcement Office resigned in protest. In his resignation letter, he accused the Bush administration of weakening the policies he has been fighting to enforce.
With me from New York is the EPA administrator, Christine Todd Whitman.
Governor, thanks for joining us.
CHRISTINE TODD WHITMAN, EPA ADMINISTRATOR: It's a pleasure, Wolf.
BLITZER: And let me read to you what Eric Schaeffer writes in his letter of resignation, among others things. We will put it up on the screen: "I cannot leave without sharing my frustration about the fate of our enforcement actions against power companies that have violated the Clean Air Act. We seem about the snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, fighting a White House that seems determined to weaken the rules we are trying to enforce."
Sounds pretty strong, pretty condemnatory language from him.
WHITMAN: It is very strong language.
First of all, the first thing to understand is, we have known he was leaving for a month. He has had this job lined up for better than a month. So it isn't that he just decided yesterday in frustration that he was going to resign.
But he cares deeply about these issues, as do we. And that is why we are so convinced that the Clear Skies program is the way to go, because it will get us better reductions faster than under the current Clean Air Act. But we are not doing anything to weaken the Clean Air Act. We are not backing off our enforcements. We just had a settlement last month with PSE&G that is going to require them to spend over $300 million in retrofitting to clean up their plants in New Jersey, which will help the air in this area particularly. We are continuing to move forward with enforcement. But new- source review, which is what he talks about a great deal in his letter, is something that's been under discussion for revamping for about 10 years. And the Clinton administration in '96 even proposed new regulations to streamline it. So that's what we are looking at.
BLITZER: He says that there seems to be less of a desire on the part of the Bush administration than was the case during the Clinton administration, less of a stomach, a will to fight some of these polluters out there right now.
WHITMAN: Well, I think he is misinterpreting.
What we would like to see is less money spent in court and more money spent in cleaning up sites. And that means getting the industry to come to the table where we can, in settlement negotiations, come to the table willingly.
What Clear Skies does, what makes it -- the beauty of Clear Skies, the president's proposal, is that it sets mandatory caps with a time certain, so industry knows what is expected of it, knows when they have to get to these dates and the levels. But they can do it in a way that keeps them competitive and doesn't jack up the costs for the average person.
If we can do it that way, it is far better than constantly having to come in with lawyers and inspectors and say, "We are going to find you and we are going to sue you." And then they come to court. And it's litigious. It takes years. And it doesn't get us the same kind of benefits as we can get under the proposal of the president's.
But, having said that, we still need to be ensured that we have a strong regulatory capacity. And we are not weakening that.
BLITZER: Governor Whitman, I know you've got a busy schedule. It is always good for you to take some time and explain what is going on in the environment to our viewers. Thanks for joining us.
WHITMAN: It's a pleasure. Thank you, Wolf.
BLITZER: Appreciate it very much.
And the jokes get plenty of laughs, but when it comes to ratings and revenue, late-night television is some very serious business. So, the big question is this: Is late-night laugh man, this late night laugh man, David Letterman, leaving CBS, coming over to ABC? What's the future of Ted Koppel? We'll have more on that coming up next.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Welcome back.
We have a breaking story that we are following from the Associated Press in London. Packages containing toxic substances were sent to several political targets in Britain, including the British prime minister, Tony Blair, this according Scotland Yard in a statement released Friday night -- the AP reporting that the police discovered a number of parcels containing what they believe to be caustic substances designed as eucalyptus oil, this according to the Scotland Yard spokesman.
One was sent by mail to No. 10 Downing Street, where the prime minister lives, but remaining unopened. Another was addressed to an unidentified Scottish legislator. The prime minister is currently visiting Australia. There is no other information immediately available. We'll continue to monitor this story. But, once again, the headline: Packages containing toxic substances were sent to several political figures in Britain, including the British prime minister, Tony Blair.
Moving on now to a possible television network war that seems to be brewing: This time, CBS talk show host David Letterman may be negotiating with ABC.
But, as CNN's Howard Kurtz reports, to make way for Letterman, ABC would probably have to get rid of another late-night television mainstay.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HOWARD KURTZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): David Letterman is one of the funniest guys on television.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "THE LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN")
DAVID LETTERMAN, HOST: CBS is very shrewd when it comes to programming and that stunt programming. And not to be done outdone by NBC, these Grammys now will run 17 days.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KURTZ: But his possible defection to ABC is no laughing matter for Ted Koppel. His signature program, "Nightline", an ABC news franchise for 21 years, would get the boot if Letterman leaves CBS and takes over the coveted 11:30 time slot at ABC. Koppel was totally blindsided by the news, which he didn't learn until 8:00 last night, followed by a 10:00 conference call with ABC News President David Westin, who also had been kept in the dark. ABC insiders say there is at least a 50 percent chance that "Nightline" as we know it will be no more.
Stealing Letterman from CBS would be a great coup for ABC, which is exploiting a window in Letterman's contract and his apparent unhappiness despite his $14-million-a-year salary at CBS. Letterman has also been frustrated about consistently trailing his one-time friend Jay Leno at NBC in the ratings.
Koppel launched "Nightline" in 1980 after creating "American Held Hostage" during the hostage crisis in Iran. He has become a bankable brand name, an aggressive interviewer who has talked to everyone from President Bush, both Presidents Bush, in fact, to Yasser Arafat, from Carl Sagan to Larry Flynt. And he's famous for his confrontational approach with guests like Gary Hart and Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker.
And while "Nightline" deals mostly with weighty foreign policy and political subjects, it has done well in the ratings, with 5.5 million viewers, often neck-and-neck with "Letterman." Its demise, ABC's Sam Donaldson said today, would be a shame.
But some executives at Disney-owned ABC believe "Nightline"'s time may have passed since its debut in the pre-CNN, pre-cable-news era. There is talk of giving Koppel a prime-time show, but Koppel, who is paid $7 million to $10 million a year, has long nixed the idea, saying he doesn't want to do the kind of mass-market entertainment required of prime-time programs.
As one ABC insider said, "Ted is not interested in interviewing Rosie O'Donnell."
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: That was Howard Kurtz of CNN's "RELIABLE SOURCES" and "The Washington Post" reporting.
For more on all of this, I'm about to speak to Marvin Kalb. He's the executive director of the Shorenstein Center on the press, politics and public policy here Washington. Marvin Kalb is also a journalist with three decades of experience with CBS and NBC.
First, though, I would like to read an e-mail from "Nightline"'s executive producer to the program's viewers that was just sent out.
Quote: "This came as a complete shock to all of us. Ted has returned from what had to have been a long weekend. But, to this point, no executive from ABC or Disney has spoken to him. I know that all of you care deeply about 'Nightline' or you wouldn't have signed up for the e-mail. But, for now, we're going to let our work speak for itself.
Marvin Kalb, you are obviously a friend of Ted Koppel. I'm a friend of Ted Koppel's. We've known him for many years. Some are suggesting, though, that no one should be too surprised. When all is said and done, those younger demographics, those younger viewers, the ones that David Letterman attract, not the ones that "Nightline" attract, are what television, at least broadcast television is all about.
MARVIN KALB, SHORENSTEIN CENTER: Well, but it isn't what it is all about. That's the problem.
There's really a collision of two cultures in one network. And I think this collision takes place at all networks today. At ABC, there is the collision of that group that seeks to maximize profit no matter what. And there is another group in the news that seeks to satisfy the public's interest for information.
There are elements -- there are fewer elements, by the way, in the news department. But there are still elements. And I think Ted is one of the leading elements. And it is a shame for one culture to beat out another when a network really has a responsibility not just to make money, but also to inform the public.
BLITZER: Some of the criticism, though, is that Ted Koppel has himself, at least in part, to blame. He cut back his own personal appearances three times a week. That show, as you know and as I know, as all the viewers of "Nightline" know who love that show, it is not the same without Ted Koppel.
KALB: No, I agree with that, Wolf. I think it is not the same without Ted.
But, at the same time, that kind of talk seems to me to be a rationalization by senior executives who are about to make a decision that they're going to regret. In other words, they may make a decision to bring Letterman in and let Koppel go. But to let Koppel go is making a very large statement about ABC's commitment to the public service.
I would like to see -- idealistic talk -- I would like to see people at ABC, like Peter Jennings and Barbara Walters, stand up and say, this is wrong. This is wrong. It should not happen.
Where are they?
BLITZER: Well, we will see if will they stand up and say that.
Marvin Kalb, one of my good friends, thanks for joining us.
KALB: Thank you.
BLITZER: Appreciate it.
Now let's got the answer to our "News Quiz."
Earlier we asked which late-night television program had the least amount of viewers since the start of the fall season. Is it "Late Show With David Letterman," "Nightline," or "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno"? The answer: "Late Show With David Letterman." Since September, "The Late Show with David Letterman" has trailed "Nightline" by 300,000 viewers, according to the ACNielsen ratings service.
The results of our "Web Question of the Day": Should the Bush administration continually maintain a secret standby government in case of emergency? Plus, a reminder that Elizabeth Dole is not the only Senate contender from North Carolina. That and your e-mail comments when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Let's go to New York now and get a preview of "LOU DOBBS MONEYLINE." That, of course, begins right at the top of the hour -- Lou.
LOU DOBBS, "LOU DOBBS MONEYLINE": Wolf, thank you very much.
Coming up: We are going to tell you about a very good day on Wall Street, a good day for investors everywhere. Our group of experts will assess a powerful rally on Wall Street today and the economic reports that lifted the spirits of investors and the Dow to its highest level since August. And today, the White House confirming the existence of a so-called shadow government. And the United States is prepared to send troops to Yemen to fight the war against terror. I will be talking with former CIA Director James Woolsey. And we continue our special series of reports for investors: "Who Can You Trust?" Tonight, we take a look at the companies behind the stocks.
All of that and a lot more at the top of the hour -- please join us.
Now back to Wolf Blitzer in Washington -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Thank you very much, Lou. We will be watching, as we do every single night.
Now the results of our "Web Question of the Day": Should the Bush administration continually maintain a secret standby government in case of emergency? Let's check out the answers. Not surprising, the majority of you, 79 percent, so far at least, voted yes. Remember, this is not a very scientific poll, but it is still interesting.
Time now for me to hear from you and all of our viewers to hear from you as well.
Let's sample some of your e-mail.
Nicole writes this: "I was a Democratic voter. No longer. I have seen and heard Tom Daschle and a select few others criticize our president, whom I believe to be doing a great job and service for our country."
Helen reminds me of this: "Elizabeth Dole is not the only Republican or Democratic contender for the U.S. Senate from North Carolina. Lest you forget, Erskine Bowles is among the contenders." There are others as well.
And Adil writes: "My name is Adil Akhtar. You aired a story about a passenger on an Air India flight who resembled a terrorist. Later he was found to be guilty of nothing more than having the same name, Akhtar Adeel" -- Adeel Akhtar, actually. "Why did you release his name if he was innocent? You are absolutely insensitive to other people who have the same name."
Adil, you make a very excellent point, even though the name was originally released -- I must say this -- by Air India. Air India officially released that name.
Now a story about, get this, a Wolf Blitzer impostor. I received e-mail about this week's episode of "Ed," which is a popular NBC program. In the fictional series, a high school reporter, a rookie reporter, Warren Cheswick, used my name. The only trouble is, it is very hard to hear.
See if you can catch it on this clip. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "ED")
JUSTIN LONG, ACTOR: This is "WOLF BLITZER REPORTS" in the snow.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: OK, guys. Let's shoot the intro.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: Did you catch it? Did you miss it? Look, I will replay it again. This time we will put some subtitles in case you missed it.
Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "ED")
LONG: This is "WOLF BLITZER REPORTS" in the snow.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: OK, guys. Let's shoot the intro.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: All right, Warren, thanks for the plug. If are going to be using my name, try to speak more clearly into the microphone, words of advice from this veteran in the television news business.
We want to update our viewers on what is happening in Britain. A caustic toxic substance has now been reported to have been delivered to No. 10 Downing Street -- that is where the British prime minister, Tony Blair, lives -- and a Scottish politician as well. Scotland Yard is all over this, we are told. The British prime minister, Tony Blair, is not in London. He is in Australia, clearly not in any harm's way. We will have more on this as it becomes available -- that from the Associated Press.
That's all the time we have for now. Please join me again in one hour, 7:00 p.m. Eastern. We will go into the "War Room." We will also have a report from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Until then, thanks very much for watching. I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington. "LOU DOBBS MONEYLINE" begins right now.
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